Why Retain The Bodyguard?
by Beachchickrules
Summary: Bowser hasn't been threatening Mushroom Kingdom for a very long time, so Princess Peach lets Mario leave for a while. Seems that she lets the hero go a little too easily...
1. WRTB? 1

Why Retain The Bodyguard?

By Beachchickrules

Super Mario sat, unusually quiet, at the unnecessarily long dinner table, stuffing himself with spaghetti and Italian bread flavored with garlic.

          "More oregano, sir?" asked one of Princess Peach's cooks.

          "No thanks," he mumbled, gazing downward at the noodles he was twirling around his fork.

          Peach glanced at him from across the table, a look of expectancy emitting from her large, innocent blue eyes.

          "Peach, I…" Mario began, his eyes darting around as he scratched his neck nervously.  Peach patiently awaited the reason he wanted to talk to her tonight.

          " I need to leave…Mushroom Kingdom…for a while…" he spoke.  Peach looked slightly surprised.

          "Why?" she asked calmly.

          "Honestly," he said, drawing in a deep breath, "I don't think I'm needed anymore.  I mean, Bowser hasn't been starting any trouble lately, especially after the debt his kingdom went into after it invested in certain trade items…"

          "Oh, the poisonous mushrooms, right?" Peach asked.

          "Yes."

          "There were so many deaths among the Goombas from those, but honestly, that gives us more time before his next monotonous attack, right?"

          "Exactly.  Since I have nothing to do around her, I wanted ot return to the human world and go exploring, maybe work a little more with other plumbers…"

          "Oh," Peach said, trying to sound disappointed.  But she didn't really have any romantic inclinations towards him anyway.  She kissed him at the end of Super Mario 64 just to be polite.  After all, he did save her life countless times.

          "I hope you won't mind," he said.  "If you need me for anything, simply make a wish to the Star Road and someone up there will tell me to come back.  Luigi will become the master plumber of your castle, if that's okay.  He does have several promising trainees."

          Peach was silent for a moment, wondering what life would be like without him.

          "All right," she said, "I hope you have a great time."

          Mario and Peach stood up from the dining table and shared a friendly hug.  Both of them knew they were not attracted to one another as more than friends, and they could sense that fact as the red-clad plumber left to go live his own, independent life once more.

          "Thanks, Rosemary," she said to her cook.  "I'm going to my chambers now."

          "Goodnight, Princess," said Rosemary as she packaged the leftovers from dinner to feed to the poor.  The Princess didn't like wasting food while some living under her reign were starving.  She often ordered food to be sent out to those living in the desert, where water and food could become quite scarce.  Peach truly cared about her kingdom, but knew she would be okay without Mario by her side, for once.  She felt her decision to let the Mushroom Kingdom's long-time protector take a break was faultless.

          Princess Peach reached her massive living quarters, complete with marble flooring with exquisite rugs, a huge canopy bed decorated with dreamy sheer pink fabric and lace, a royal fountain, and a luxurious bathroom featuring a fabulous hot tub.

          Peach changed out of her signature pink gown into a playful pink knee-length sleeveless dress decorated with a sparkling floral print.  She removed some of her royal jewelry, but applied some rich, glistening lip gloss and touched up her eyeshadow.  She looked like she was ready to go on a date…


	2. WRTB? 2

Peach checked to make sure that no one was coming to her chamber and placed her "Do Not Disturb" sign on the entrance doors.  Shutting the doors softly behind her, she stealthily flowed to her enormous dresser and opened an extravagantly decorated jewelry box.  She opened one of the box's drawers and felt along the top of the drawer with her hand until she touched something.  Her elegant hand glided out of the box and in its palm was a golden, gem-studded key.

          Peach looked around her spacious room once more before stepping out onto her balcony, taking in the fresh dusky air.  She prayed to the star spirits as she did every evening, on her balcony, except tonight, she praised them more gratuitously than ever before.  She went back inside when she finished and pulled a wall tapestry aside, revealing a white brick wall.

          It wasn't just a wall, though.  Peach's hand searched the wall's surface and stopped on a certain brick.  She pushed the brick and a vertically narrow passage opened, revealing an equally narrow door.  The golden key was placed into the door and turned, ever so gently, and the door opened to reveal one of the Princess' secret slides.

          Tucking her dress neatly under herself, Peach sat down at the top of the slide and pushed off.

          Peach zoomed down the curvy slide, thinking about how much fun her magnificent castle was as the wind blew her blonde locks from her face.  But her thoughts quickly turned to what awaited her at the bottom of the slide, and she suddenly felt a rush of excitement as she drew near to the bottom of her slide.

          The carpeting at the base of the slide eased her momentum until she was completely still.  She picked herself up, arranging her dress and hair, walked over to a podium, and removed a hidden cover on it, exposing another keyhole.  The same golden key turned and a secret passage in the ground opened.  Peach walked down its stairs into a dungeon-like hallway lit with torches and passed several doors before stopping before one and turning its handle…

          The room was dimly lit, with gray brick flooring and matching stone walls.  Centered in the room was a small, brown wooden table with two candles and a plate of mushroom bonbons between them.  Facing the entrance, enveloped in shadows, seated at that brown table, was an eerily lit individual.  It was he… He was waiting for her…


	3. WRTB? 3

Princess Peach sat down across from him and gazed into his eyes.  They were surprisingly close in age and had known each other almost all their lives.  His eyes were small and dark, and the light reflected off of them, causing them to ignite with intensity.

          "He's gone," Peach said.  The figure smiled.

          "I'll miss him," he said sincerely, "as Mario has helped both of us in the past.  It is unfortunate that our best friend was our roadblock."

          "Well, we're not doing this only for ourselves…it was time for him to move on, and we just sped up the process."

          "Yes, I hear the poisonous mushrooms I planted in Bowser's Kingdom significantly decreased his army."

          "Especially the goombas," Peach added, uninterested in the conversation's current topic.  Her mind was drifting elsewhere…

          "Princess," he said more softly, "I'm so happy to see you tonight."  He smiled warmly, his tone more casual.  "It felt good to be successful in assisting the kingdom, and anything we do to slow Bowser will result in more peace.  Plus the overstressed Mario needs a real vacation, unlike what he got on Isle Delfino.  But discussing these things isn't why we're here, Peach…" He stretched his hand across the table and placed it on Peach's hand.  "It's a shame that our date has to be here, but as you know, it's not acceptable for us to be in love…"

          "When you save me and my kingdom, then anyone would find you eligible… even the Chancellor would approve…" Peach murmured as he got up from his chair and pulled her to him.

          The candlelight flickered on the couple as they kissed, and they both knew that he could never be a hero.  Although he had grown tall and mature enough by eating special mushrooms, Princess Peach was in love with Toad.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For those of you who have ever asked why Peach has kept Toad as her bodyguard, well… this is my twisted answer.  *Laughs evilly*


End file.
